Creating an artistic background blur effect has become one of the most popular functions in mobile photography. Smartphone users Android often look for ways to imitate professional optics with a shallow depth of field to focus on the main subject. Modern algorithms allow you to do this not only at the moment of photographing, but also when processing ready-made photographs in the gallery.
Background blur, known as bokeh, helps remove visual noise and distracting details, turning an ordinary shot into a high-quality portrait. On devices of different price segments, the implementation of this function may differ: from hardware blur using additional sensors to software processing through neural networks. In this article, we will analyze in detail all the available methods that allow you to make a photo blurry right on your device.
It is important to understand that the quality of the final result directly depends on the processing power of the processor and the quality of the original image. We will look at both standard system tools and third-party solutions that will help achieve the desired effect even on budget smartphone models.
Using the “Portrait” mode in a standard camera
The easiest and most natural way to get a blurred background is to use the built-in shooting mode, which is usually called Portrait or Portrait Mode. This mode activates a software segmentation algorithm that separates the foreground object from the background and applies a Gaussian Blur effect to the latter. On dual-camera and multi-camera smartphones, this also uses scene depth data obtained from a telephoto lens or depth sensor.
To activate the function, open the application Camera and scroll through the shooting modes to the desired item. In the interface of many manufacturers, such as Samsung, Xiaomi or Google Pixel, it is often possible to adjust the degree of blur even before pressing the shutter button. You can choose an aperture value, for example f/1.4 for strong blur or f/8.0 for a more natural effect.
However, it is worth considering that the algorithm does not always cope perfectly with complex edges of the object, such as hair or transparent objects. In such cases, contours may appear unnaturally cropped or “eaten” by the filter.
⚠️ Attention: Portrait mode requires sufficient lighting. When shooting in the dark, the algorithm may make a mistake in determining the boundaries of the object, which will lead to the appearance of artifacts and a “soapy” effect on the hero of the picture.
Some advanced cameras allow you to change the focus point and the degree of blur after the picture is taken. This function, known as Live Focus, stores a depth map along with the image. To check if this option is available, go to the camera settings and look for the “Save depth information” or similar item.
For best results in portrait mode, place the subject at a distance of 1-2 meters from the background. The further away the background is, the more natural the blur looks.
Editing finished photos via Google Photos
If you took a photo in normal mode and realized that the background is too detailed, the application Google Photoswill come to the rescue. This is a standard solution for most pure Androiddevices, which uses powerful machine learning algorithms for retouching. The blur function here is called “Portrait” and is available in the tool editor.
To process the image, open it in the application and press the button Edit (icon with sliders). In the bottom toolbar, select the “Tools” tab and find Portrait. The application will automatically analyze the photo and offer a blur option. If recognition was successful, you will see a slider for the intensity of the effect.
- 📸 The algorithm automatically detects a person’s face and blurs everything behind it.
- 🎚️ You can manually adjust the strength of the effect from slight softening until the background is completely abstracted.
- 💾 Changes are saved as a separate copy or overwrite the original as you choose.
It's worth noting that this feature works best with portraits of people and pets. For objects or landscapes, the algorithm may not work correctly, since it is trained primarily on recognizing biological objects. In such cases, the boundary between the subject and the background may not be clearly blurred.
After applying the effect, do not forget to save the result. If the quality of automatic processing does not suit you, you can use other specialized applications that give more control over the blur mask.
Professional processing in Snapseed and Lightroom
For those who want full control over the blurring process, applications Snapseed and Adobe Lightroomare ideal. These tools allow you to work not only with global blur, but also create complex masks by selecting specific areas for processing. This is especially true for subject photography or complex compositions, where standard algorithms fail.
The application Snapseed uses the Lens Blur tool. It simulates the optical blur effect created by DSLR camera lenses. You can place the focus center anywhere in the frame, change the shape of the sharpened area (circle or line) and adjust the strength of the transition between the sharp and blurred zones.
Tools → Lens Blur → SettingsB Lightroom Mobile The approach is more professional: here we use the “Select Subject” mask or "Brush". You can manually paint over the background you want to blur, and then apply a Blur filter to that mask or lower the Clarity setting. This method takes more time, but gives the most natural result without artifacts at the edges.
| Application | Blur type | Difficulty | Mask control |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Photos | Automatic (AI) | Low | None |
| Snapseed | Gradient / Spot | Medium | Manual zone adjustment |
| Lightroom | Mask | High | Full (brush, object, sky) |
| PicsArt | Artistic | Medium | Manual selection |
Using professional editors allows you to maintain the high quality of the source file, since processing occurs locally on the device with minimal compression. This is critical if you plan to print your photos or publish them in a portfolio.
The Secret to the Perfect Transition
In Snapseed, use the Transition option to make the border between the blurred and sharp areas smoother. A sharp transition reveals the artificiality of the processing.
Use of specialized applications with AI
The mobile application market offers dozens of solutions created exclusively for blurring the background. The leaders in this niche are AfterFocus, Blur Background and various clones marked AI Bokeh. The main feature of such apps is the use of neural networks to accurately highlight the foreground, which often works better than standard camera tools on older smartphones.
The application AfterFocus allows you to manually designate the foreground and background by drawing lines across the image. The smartphone automatically completes the mask based on these marks. This is a great compromise between fully automatic mode and complex manual clipping in Photoshop. The result often looks very convincing thanks to the simulation of camera movement when shooting.
Many modern applications also offer libraries of bokeh effects that simulate the shape of the aperture blades. You can make the blur not just uniform, but with beautiful highlights in the shape of hearts, stars or polygons. This adds an artistic expression to your photos that is not available with regular photography.
⚠️ Attention: Free versions of blur apps often contain aggressive advertising or add watermarks to the final image. Carefully check the export settings before saving the photo.
In addition, some applications allow you to replace the blurred background with a completely different picture, creating a collage effect. Although this goes beyond simple blurring, the function is often used in conjunction to create creative content for social networks.
☑️ Criteria for choosing a blurring application
Creating a motion effect (Motion Blur)
In addition to background blur (bokeh), there is another type of blur - Motion Blur or motion blur. This effect is used to convey the dynamics of a scene when the subject is moving quickly while the background remains static, or vice versa. On Android, this can be implemented both when shooting and when processing.
In the professional camera mode settings (Pro Mode), you can set a long shutter speed, for example 1/10 seconds or longer. If you move the camera or the object moves in the frame, you will get a characteristic trail. However, for static photos, post-processing is more often used.
In editors like PicsArt or PhotoRoom there are “Motion Blur” tools. You specify the direction of the blurring vector (horizontally, vertically or radially). This is great for photos of cars, people running, or flowing water to give them a sense of speed.
Technically, this effect is achieved by shifting pixels along a specified path and overlaying transparency. Unlike bokeh, there is no loss of detail due to defocus, but geometric motion distortion is observed.
Motion Blur and background blur (Bokeh) are different optical effects. The first simulates speed, the second simulates the depth of field of the lens.
Common errors and ways to eliminate them
Even when using powerful algorithms, users often encounter unnatural results. The most common mistake is “dirty” edges of an object. This occurs when the algorithm cannot accurately separate hair, thin branches, or translucent fabric from the background. As a result, part of the background is blurred along with the object or vice versa.
To minimize errors, try to create contrast between the object and the background at the shooting stage. A monochromatic background is processed much better by algorithms than a colorful and detailed one. Also avoid situations where the object blends in color with the background - this confuses the segmentation system.
- 🚫 Don't blur the background too much in wide-angle shots - it looks unnatural, as wide lenses have a large depth of field.
- ✅ Check the edges of the object at 100% zoom before saving photo.
- 🔧 Use the Eraser or Healing tools in editors to remove blur from those places where it accidentally appeared on the object.
Another problem is noise on a blurred background. With strong software blur, digital noise can turn into large colored spots. In such cases, it is recommended to first apply noise reduction to the entire image, and only then apply the bokeh effect.
⚠️ Attention: Application interfaces and function names may differ depending on the version of Android and the manufacturer’s shell (MIUI, OneUI, ColorOS). If you do not find the described button, look for an analogue in the “Effects” or “Filters” menu.
FAQ: Questions and answers
Is it possible to make a photo blurry on an old smartphone without a second camera?
Yes, it is possible. This is done using applications that run purely on software algorithms (AI), such as Google Photos, Snapseed or AfterFocus. The presence of a second camera improves the accuracy of depth determination, but is not a prerequisite for creating a blur effect.
Why does a photo become worse in quality after blurring?
A decrease in quality can occur due to aggressive compression when saving or the operation of noise reduction algorithms. Try to save images in the highest quality format and avoid resaving the same file multiple times.
How to remove blur if it turns out to be unnecessary?
If you used the “Portrait” mode with saving depth data, you can change the degree of blur in the gallery. If the photo is already saved as a regular JPEG, it is impossible to completely sharpen the background, but you can try using the sharpening tools (Sharpen) in editors, although the results will be limited.
Does blur affect the file size of a photo?
Usually the file size is reduced slightly, since blurred areas contain less high-frequency detail and are better compressed by JPEG algorithms. However, when saving a depth map (in HEIC formats or special containers), the file size may, on the contrary, increase.